Public transportation a critical need for community

Friday

May 17, 2013 at 12:01 AMMay 17, 2013 at 9:58 PM

It has been wonderful to see a diverse group of citizens come together on the sidewalks of downtown Burlington and at recent City Council meetings to show support for the development of public transportation. It is truly unfortunate that Burlington is the largest city in the state without this service. The lack of public transportation is not only bad for business, but it is keeping our community from moving forward. Buses connect communities, they improve air quality, reduce roadway congestion, lower obesity rates and provide a way for our senior citizens to remain independent. In addition buses afford the opportunity for lower income residents to get around town and provide a way for our youth to obtain higher education degrees and begin careers. I am aware of smaller cities and counties in North Carolina that offer public transportation for their residents. As a result, these communities have better access to a doctor’s office, workplace or local store.

If you ever ride the Elon Bio bus, you will find both students and community members aboard. Community members are filling 48 percent of the seats — simply trying to get from point A to point B — you may find someone grocery shopping, headed to an appointment or visiting the library. The Downtown-East Burlington route was established to help students complete service learning hours at local nonprofits, but it is also open to the public. This service operates when school is in session, during the week, in the late afternoon for a few hours. The Elon Bio Bus increased from 2,546 riders in 2010-11 to 4,248 riders in 2011-12. Overall, public ridership has increased by 107 percent. These figures clearly prove, the public is in need of transportation services and would utilize a bus service if one existed.

Transit policy is one of the most pressing civil and human rights issues our community faces. Health care, obesity, education and poverty are all priority areas derived from our recent Community Assessment — one common underlying contributing factor of each issue is the lack of public transportation. I would challenge our elected leaders to consider transit as they would other economic development initiatives and public services. I believe our community deserves the basic infrastructure, such as public transportation, in order to foster our collective success.